So, it's a long story and it's been a very long time since it has happened. But I keep thinking about these memories and longing for what could have been. What could of happened?
I remember one day, valentine's day in fact, when I got to class. I was usually the first one to class after lunch since I didn't have many friends to chat with or loiter around with before class. So, I enter the room and sat in my usual seat, in the back of the classroom. His room was always cold. It was a biology class, so it had those cold, hard and heavy slabs of concrete for "desks". More of a table, than a desk. I pull my chair out and plop down, setting my backpack in the empty chair next to me as I pull out my drawing notebook and begin to work on my sketch for a drawing I was doing.
I notice a presence coming closer to me and as I look up, it's Him. I look up and smile, sheepishly. I don't remember what he said exactly to me other than something about it being Valentine's day. He probably asked me if I had plans. Me? Yeah right.
He pulls the chair from the table in front of mine over and straddles it, leaning his arms on my table. I look up and feel my face getting warm. The table is usually cold to the touch but I can see my palms starting to fog with sweat on it. I stare into his eyes as he smiled. Nobody was in the room, still. Just us. I was getting nervous, what is he doing? I didn't care. I liked how his eyes looked, they were menacing and sharp but as you gaze farther in you saw a soft side.
He reached into his back pocket and took out his wallet, grabbing a dollar from it.
"Want to see something cool?" He said to me.
"Oh, sure I guess..."
He meticulously folded the dollar, in silence. I wondered what he would make with it. Some kind of origami, maybe one of those stupid paper cranes everyone knows how to make?
The bell rung.
I noticed some of my classmates start entering the room, talking loud and joking around like always. He was almost done with the origami. A few of the boys come closer to see what is going on in the back of the class, when usually the teacher is in the front of the room ready to greet everyone as they walk in, often scolding some of them to put their food away or something before they sat down.
He finishes. It's an origami heart. The folds on it were so clean, and the design was amazing to look at. I stared at it almost embarrassed as I hear all around me "Ooooohhh" like when little kids do when another gets in trouble or even if they see kissing in a movie. I see his face get red as well, and he stands up. He collects himself and clears his throat,
"Okay, okay, let's just sit down now."
He moves to the front of the room and starts his warmup on the board before actually getting to the lesson. I could feel everyones eyes on me the whole period of class, and I kept thinking what if I got to class earlier than usual. What would have happened? Would he still make the origami? What if he invited me into the back office of his room, what if there was "something" he wanted to show me? No, I was over thinking it. Stop. Stop stop stop! I wasn't focused at all that day.
